We must fight the persecution of Christians where we can, but also recognize that persecution is a condition for Christians and that God allows the church to grow through hardship
The Easter 2019 terrorist attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka and the Islamic State's systematic displacement of Christians and other non-Sunni Muslim minorities in Iraq and Syria have contributed to Danish politicians and secular media - and thus also the general public - becoming aware of the persecution of Christians, including in the Middle East.
Such a realization is welcome as persecution of Christians has often been a blind spot in the public debate. It is also positive that in 2018 the government established a unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that will work to promote freedom of religion. The spread of the rights-based perspective is extremely important as it keeps the majority of the population aware of the duty to protect dissenters and believers.
However, the greater realization of the extent of Christian persecution also gives us cause to reflect on how we as individuals, politicians, the church and the media observe, approach and angle the persecution of Christians. Often you can observe a distinctly negative angle. As if the persecution of Christians is an affront that should be stopped.
Persecution is a condition
However, it is because of the Bible and Christians' identification with it that they are persecuted, and the Bible has a positive perspective on persecution and describes it as a condition that Christians are promised.
For example, in Luke 6:22-23a Jesus says: "Blessed are you when men hate you, and revile you, and scorn you, and abhor your name as evil for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy."
In John 15:20 he says: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."
Furthermore, after being flogged, the apostles were "glad because they had been counted worthy to be dishonored for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5:41).
If you compare the biblical perspective with the development in predominantly Turkic Central Asia, you have to consider whether the rights-based perspective is sufficient.
Open window for a few years
One of Danish European Mission's partners, a church leader in Kazakhstan, once told us about the young church in his country, where the majority of Christian converts came to faith after the collapse of the Soviet Union - similar to the churches in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The collapse of the Soviet Union ushered in a new era of freedom of speech, freedom of belief and freedom of assembly instead of totalitarian communism. In this atmosphere, missionaries could travel to Central Asia and freely preach the gospel. Many thousands came to faith in large meetings and Bibles were distributed by the thousands.
This window of opportunity was only open for a few years. From the year 2000, the authorities in Turkmenistan began to impose restrictions. For example, missionaries were not allowed to renew their visas when they applied. Since then, Christian pastors have been imprisoned in this country as well as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
The church leader said that for him and many of the other new Christians in Kazakhstan, the word "suffering" had not been part of their theology until then. Western missionaries had not adequately taught the new believers about persecution as a condition. It was only when it came that the young church had to examine what the Bible said on this subject.
As a result, the young church in Central Asia was unprepared for persecution, more pastors fled and church growth stalled.
New congregation
Conversely, modern church history also provides examples of the church growing in the midst of persecution. In Iraq an estimated 5,000 and in Syria an estimated 20,000 Muslims and people of other non-Christian backgrounds have converted to the Christian faith since the Islamic State entered the country in 2014. The brutality of the jihadists proved to have unintended consequences.
A Syrian priest who, with the support of Danish European Mission donors, has been involved in distributing relief aid to people displaced by Islamic State has said:
"During the civil war, 25 members of the congregation fled annually. Only I, as pastor, am left of the original congregation, but the church is full. I have a new congregation. Many Muslims come to the church. They are tired of Islam, of all the destruction and killing. They say: 'You Christians are peaceful and serve the God of peace'."
Sound persecution theology
Only a minority of new Christian converts in Iraq and Syria are yet to come forward publicly as the price can be death threats from terrorists, harassment from authorities and social pressure from family. However, according to our local partner, the converts' choice is well-considered. They know what the cost of following Jesus can be in the Middle East - and they need training in a healthy theology of persecution so they can deal with pain.
Their numbers cannot offset the significantly higher number of Christians from traditional ethnic Christian minorities who have left the Middle East, but the trend is remarkable as it has taken place in the face of intense persecution.
Church growth in Iran
An even clearer example of church growth under persecution is Iran. Up until Khomeini's Islamic revolution in February 1979, an estimated 500 Muslims had converted to the Christian faith.
On February 19, 1979, priest and convert Arastoo Sayyah was martyred and after him, seven other priests have paid with their lives for their service. Priests of the underground church, made up of Muslims who have converted to the Christian faith, are sentenced to prison terms of up to ten years.
Duane Alexander Miller, PhD, estimates that up to 500,000 Muslims may have become Christians in Iran, while Thomas Schirrmacher, professor of religious freedom, estimates the number even higher. The only figure that is not an estimate is from 2020, when Iranian social science researchers from the Dutch polling institute Gamaan conducted a survey of Iranians' attitudes towards religion via digital platforms. It can be deduced from the study that around 800,000 Iranian Muslims have converted to the Christian faith.
Resurrection power
Persecution is not good in itself, Christians should not seek it out, and it does not necessarily lead to church growth. But the examples from Iran, Syria and Iraq show that in some cases, the brutality of persecution can cause people from the majority of the population to question the basis of the persecutors and instead seek the faith of the persecuted.
God can turn persecution into something good for the church. Paul says in Philippians 3:10: "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, that I may have the likeness of his death, if I could attain to the resurrection from the dead."
When persecuted Christians identify their (unjust) suffering with the (unjust) suffering of Christ with Paul, they also share in his resurrection - not just once, but the resurrection power is also expressed by God bringing new life out of suffering.
Yes, persecuted Christians experience violations, and we can try to utilize the opportunities provided by the legal system and political engagement to prevent, limit and avoid persecution. But where this is not possible, we should instead encourage persecuted Christians in their challenges through prayer, Bible smuggling, relief and self-help projects, and keep our eyes open to the fact that the Gospel can thrive in even the most difficult circumstances.
Perhaps in some cases we should therefore consider calling the persecuted Christians "persecuted but victorious Christians".